1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a nutritionally fortified enteral semi-viscous diet formulation for feeding to dogs, cats and other animals in state of metabolic distress and more particularly to an enteral diet which is in syringeable form and can be administered to the animal or pet directly through the oral cavity.
2. The Prior Art
Animals such as household pets such as dogs and cats suffering from an injury, illness or major surgery are highly susceptible to the post-stress development of anorexia and malnutrition.
The metabolic response to early, significant injury in an animal is represented by a shock phase which lasts about 48 hours and a late hypermetabolic phase which usually peaks at 72 to 96 hours after injury and subsides in days to weeks. The hypermetabolic state results from activation of general or local inflammatory response(s), and development of a sustained state of hypermetabolism and increased caloric expenditure. Suppression of the immune response, nutrient depletion of the plasma and tissue levels and sequential organ failure and death may result if the hypermetabolic state is allowed to persist without intervention. Other prominent tissue and biochemical responses to stress, injury and the hypermetabolic responses include loss of lean body mass, urinary nitrogen loss, hyperglycemia, carbohydrate intolerance, insulin resistance, glucosuria and gluconeogenesis. In a pet animal where the GI tract is still functioning, but the animal is unable to feed itself to take in adequate amounts of nutrients, enteral nutrition is of known benefit in practical therapeutics. The enteral route is the preferred route of nutritional administration relative to the parenteral route.
Enteral diets are sometimes administered to the pet animal in hypermetabolic and catabolic states through a feeding tube that may be used transiently with normal placement procedures or by a surgical placement of an indwelling tube. In the case of pet animals such as dogs and cats, the animals may find the tubing uncomfortable and may not cooperate with such feeding techniques. Hand feeding of the animal is difficult as the injured animal oftimes refuses to eat.
Therefore there is a need in the art for a ready-to-use enteral diet which may be readily administered by assisted feeding to hypermetabolic and catabolic animals which does not require a surgically implanted feeding tube or the intervention of a skilled professional or semi-professional.